the Clickity Clack

A Book of Empty Pages

2010-01-19T10:44:00.000-08:00

REVIEW: If it wasn't for Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman headlining this movie, I'd say The Book of Eli is probably worth reading its first chapter. That's it. The movie preaches about having faith in our darkest hours and not lose it when everything in the world says otherwise. Yet, the Hughes Brothers showed no faith in their audience at all.

There was no drama within the character of Eli (Washington) at all and his so-called path of faith towards west didn't present much of a test for him that make him question the voice he heard that prompted his 15-year long trek to save humanity from themselves. Meeting and befriending the brave but innocent Salara (Mila Kunis) is not exactly what I call a testament to his found beliefs.

The film also attempted a twist at the end but poorly executed the build-up because too much were revealed along the way. If you don't catch enough of it, don't worry. It isn't worth the trouble.

But the best thing about the film is it didn't get too carried away in delivering its message and provided an intriguing, mysterious character. Yet without Washington at the driver's seat, Eli would seem to be just another typical post-apocalyptic anti-hero. Washington gives religion to this film.

Writer Gary Whitta probably didn't see much of Oldman's work because his character (Carnegie) and dialogue didn't feel like it was custom-made for him. Whitta has one of the finest English actors to come across the Atlantic, and he gives Oldman leftover lines and not enough scenes that really examines why he's an antagonist to Eli rather than an obstacle who can read. Oldman is quite good at making the audience hate and fear him, but don't blame him if he happens to steal the scene. But with Washington on the other side, I don't think that will happen...often.

Speaking of read, the film seems to also suggest that those who read or believe in the power of the written word are the ones who can make a difference, good or bad, in this world. Either that or literate people are the ones who have the capacity to have faith in a higher power or anything else beyond the obvious.

Why pass judgement to those who can't help their inadequacies? Why didn't the film make a bolder step by saying that those literate who decide not to read are the ones who aren't helping themselves or their fellow man?

If you can get past some of the bad seasonings, The Book of Eli isn't a bad excuse to spend 2 hours of your spare time even if you're an action buff, which the film has enough of. Just don't expect more even if the film promises so.

The Book of Eli (2010) (Warner Bros./Columbia Pictures). MPAA rating: R for some brutal violence and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes. Now Playing.

ACTION: B

FUN FACTOR: B-

STORY: C
ACTING: A-
ORIGINALITY: C+
MUSIC: B-
SCORE: B
STUPID LEVEL: 6/10
VERDICT: A film full of potential but highly limits itself with its own lack of faith.

Video Game Spotlight: God of War 3

2010-01-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

On March 31, 2010, Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica Studio will be releasing 2009 Spike Video Game Awards' "Most Anticipated Game" of 2010, God of War III. The game is the fifth and final installment of the series and will be the first God of War game to be released for the Playstation 3.

G.O.W. III takes place immediately after the events on God of War II and is promised to take full advantage of the PS3's rendering muscles and will support full 1080p HD and Sixaxis vibration capabilities. But, will it be as good as Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves? That remains to be seen.

G.O.W. III will see Kratos on Gaia's back leading the Titans to charge up Mount Olympus to take on whatever God dares to stand in their way to finally fulfill his relentless pursuit of vengeance. Does that mean Kratos is the one responsible to the end of Greek Mythology? It sure looks that way.

While there will be new weapons and new bosses involved this time around, the developers have focused on increasing the number of enemies that appear on the screen from 15 to 50 and giving a better sense for gamers when they're fighting one enemy as opposed to a horde at a time. In other words, your strategy of fighting one will be far different from when you decide to take on an army of them. Furthermore, the combat system for G.O.W. III will feature a seamless switching of weapons during a battle allowing more ways for gamers to eliminate their enemies.

I'm a fan of the franchise, and I must say that their decision to have a game for the PS3 is a no-brainer and is the perfect arena to end the series. But what I enjoy most about the entire God of War franchise is the engrossing storyline, superb dialogues, gorgeous character and environment designs, and of course the action. Everything else is just a bonus for me.

Here is the Japanese trailer:

And this is G4's XPlay preview:

Daybreakers Trailer 2

2010-01-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

If you're into vampires (and who isn't these days), Lionsgate is releasing their take on bloodsuckers that doesn't involve a love triangle between a vampire, a human, and a werewolf on Friday (Jan. 8th).

Daybreakers is an original twist to the genre that surrounds a plague infecting and turning almost the entire human population into vampires 9 years from now. The surviving humans have been hunted and farmed for their blood but eventually become scarce threatening the on-going existence of both vampires and humans alike.

A vampire researcher who doesn't believe in human blood consumption named, Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is in a race against time to perfect a human blood alternative that will save both humans and vampires from extinction. But Dalton's work runs into a dead-end when his experiments prove inadequate. That is until he runs into Audrey, a human survivor who has the answer to the breakthrough he needs to complete his research.

But the vampires are growing impatient and the fate of the earth's population is in danger should the last remaining humans are found.

The film isn't padded by miscalculated production budget, over-marketing, or 3D technology. Instead, it relies upon good story-telling, action, suspense, and characters to drive the movie.

It certainly looks promising.

Here is the second trailer:

Clash of the Titans Trailer #2

2009-12-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Here is second trailer to my No. 1 must-see film of 2010. It releases March 26, 2010:

Iron Man 2 Trailer #1

2009-12-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the first trailer for Iron Man 2 due out May 7, 2010. War Machine looks good! Enjoy!

Age-Old Story Meets New Age Visuals

2009-12-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

MOVIE REVIEW: Forget about what you know about Sci-Fi and 3D. James Cameron's Avatar reinvents the genre and the 3D technology beyond what I and tons of people expect one man could. Cameron has made his mark in Tinsel Town a long time ago, but he just separated himself from the pack waaay out in front on this one.

He is the most imaginative and inventive filmmaker we have today. I dare anyone prove otherwise. His stories have always had a classic, timeless feel to it that encompasses all generation, creed, race, and social status. He is about human and always reminds us that no matter what time or place we may happen to be in or what situation we get ourselves or someone else in that the human spirit will be our ultimate savior.

Avatar isn't a brand new story. But its mythical proportion provides a subtle but familiar ticket to a world that crosses dreams and reality into one believable, awe-inspiring journey that you won't want to leave anytime soon.

The film centers around a paralyzed ex-Marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), whose twin brother died while serving as a research scientist for a human endeavor corporation intent on mining Polyphemus' Earth-sized moon of Pandora dry of its precious energy-soaked mineral rock layer called unobtanium. Jake's brother was killed while participating in the Avatar program (a highly complicated but ingenious genome project that allows a human control an alien body using the entire brain) which is the corporation's humane alternative to removing the Na'vi — the native inhabitants of Pandora — away from their "home tree" which happens to be sitting right on top of the highest deposit of unobtanium in the entire moon.

The special effects and the perfect integration of the CGI/3D elements with the actual actors and objects are staggering. The new technology may already be here, but I highly doubt anyone can use its full potential as much as Cameron just did.

The movie is almost 3 hours long, but you really won't feel the time passing because the writing and editing is superb. The action, visuals, characters, and the pace of the story all work together to keep you entertained and attended for the entire length of the film. Other elements to take note of while watching the movie are the creature, alien, machine, and aircraft designs which most of them are taken from existing or extinct animals and modern technology.

Yes, the movie (much like most Cameron movies) does carry obvious political and environmental issues based on mankind's aweful sense of "entitlement" in which we take "but not give back" as Cameron explains it. But all of these subtext issues aren't so overwhelming that it seems like Cameron is shoving whatever it is he wants to point out right on your face over and over again whether you want it to or not.

That said, it is a bit of a nuisance when the film takes you to a prestine environment that resembles something out of a fantasy world then brings you right back down to Earth with political references that's been done to death. To Cameron's credit, he never makes those messages subliminal but rather put out in the open for everyone to see and take a closer look should you choose to.

But don't let any of these stop you from experiencing one of the most successfully ambitious project any filmmaker has created since, well, Titanic. However, I must say that Avatar is meant to be seen on IMAX. No, it's not a ploy to secretly market IMAX, especially from someone who hates those movies who uses cheap tactics like IMAX or 3D to make you want to see them but fail to justify their means. So shell out a few more dollars to see it in what I think is the best use of 3D technology ever. You definitely won't regret it.

Avatar (2009) (Lightstorm Entertaiment/20th Century Fox). MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language, and some smoking. Running Time: 2 hours, 41 minutes. Now Playing.

ACTION: A

FUN FACTOR: A+

STORY: C+
ACTING: B
ORIGINALITY: A-
SCORE: A
STUPID LEVEL: 1/10
VERDICT: An epic film that redefines the Sci-Fi genre

Robin Hood (2010) Trailer 1

2009-12-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Here is the first trailer of the much-anticipated Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe:

Clash of the Titans Teaser Trailer

2009-12-10T23:36:00.000-08:00

After your Avatar experience ends, Sam Worthington will star in another sci-fi/adventure March 26, 2010. A remake of the cult classic, The Clash of the Titans. If you're too young to remember the original released in 1981, I highly suggest renting it before watching the new one. It'll make you thank the Greek gods a remake has been made.

So without further delay, here is the teaser trailer to what sure to be another blockbuster hit for Worthington. Enjoy!

Game Review: Assassin's Creed 2

2009-12-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Like I said before, I don't always use the word epic on video games, but Assassin's Creed 2 is just that — epic! It succeeds the original in almost every way possible. But it also shares some of Assassin's Creed's cons. I'll get to that in just awhile.

AC2 continues the story of bartender Desmond Mile's fascinating family lineage of assassins through the use of the Animus, a machine designed to view and live the genetic memories. This time, they follow the memories of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the middle son of a nobleman during the Renaissance in Italy.

The very history of the brotherhood of assassins is unfolded in such a tremendous way that you may add "sci-fi" into the genre description in this installment, but it also leaves quite a few questions, like why a following of assassins was formed instead of something else?

Ezio is a much more complicated but better character than Altair. He isn't as skilled as Altair but makes up for with better selection of weapons and friends.

On top of being able to use Altair's armor (after collecting 6 crests from 6 previous assassins from around the world) and sword (available to buy at the assassins' villa after the armor is attained), Ezio has dual-hidden blades that you dip in poison and a pistol attachment (thanks to having young Leonardo da Vinci decode codex pages), smoke bombs, throwing knives, and an array of swords, axes, hammers, and daggers.

About halfway through the game, da Vinci will have a flying machine for Ezio that he will only use once to get into a highly-fortified church/hideout of a high-profiled religious target.

Ubisoft Montreal threw in all kinds of new things to expand the world of Ezio. You have the usual race, assassination, beat up, and delivery side missions. But you must now visit doctors scattered all around any city you happen to be in to buy viles of health potions and poison or just pay a small change to have your health restored fully.

So how do you get money you said? Besides earning some from completing main missions and side missions. You also have the options to tackle thieves and couriers running around every city or restore/add shops, doctor's office, banks, church, bordellos, mine, well, military barracks, and thieves guild inside the villa. The more money you invest in the villa the more income you make, but you have to find some time to go back home to collect your paycheck.

Plus, you can also collect 8 mini-statues of 8 Greek gods and goddesses to uncover 2,000 in change for each two statues you find scattered around the villa. But these aren't difficult to find. The best time to see these statues is at night because they shimmer in the dark. You may also loot the bodies of your fallen enemies or chests (some are highly guarded) and pick the pocket of just about anybody but your friends in the game.

I won't go into every detail of everything in AC2 because there are a ton of them. You will have to see them on your own.

About the most beautiful aspect of the game is the detail put into every crevices and costumes. The different locations are so full of life and scenic views that I really recommend climbing the highest point of every city and look around to behold the outstanding work Ubisoft has put into this game.

All sounds, music, and dialogues are top-notch as well as the lighting effects. The animation is fluid and smooth no matter how many characters and/or enemies are on screen at the same time. But, just as I mentioned earlier AC2 suffers from a few poorly executed mechanics.

Just like the first, AC2's combat gameplay is hampered by annoyingly uncooperative camera angles and movements. It can get frustrating at times when you're trying to defend yourself against a host of enemies in narrow pathways or an area with trees. A lot of times your view is blocked by objects around the area you're in which forces you to run and fight somewhere more open. The problem there is you're being attacked from all angles, but you can't continue to move because you have block each and every attack. So you'll end up staying put and just take some of the beatings versus dying if you decide to get to the open area.

There are also moments when blocking and counter-moves don't respond when you need it to for some odd reason. You can't say the timing is off because when you play this game long enough, you kind of learn when to utilize those moves because the variety of the attack animation of each enemies is extremely limited.

But don't fret, AC2 is still a highly entertaining game that will require hours and hours to fully accomplish everything there is to do. A definite must-have!

Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal). Platforms: XBox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. Genre: Third-Person Action-Adventure. Player(s): 1. ESRB Rating: Mature (M)

GAMEPLAY: B+
GAME DESIGN: A-
STORY: A
GRAPHICS: A+
SOUND: A+
MUSIC: A
VOICE ACTING: B+
REPLAY VALUE: C-
RENT OR BUY?: Didn't I say a definite must-have?

Attack of the Ninja

2009-12-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

MOVIE REVIEW: It didn't look very entertaining from the trailer, but Ninja Assassin seems to have a furious action sequence every single minute. Talk about getting what you paid for!

The movie surrounds Europol agent Mika Coretti's (Naomie Harris) investigation of ninja assassins which led her to Raizo (Rain) — the prodigy son of the Ozunu Clan's master ninja (played by the legendary Sho Kosugi).

Raizo was an orphan and raised to be a ninja. He probably would have become the new master ninja hadn't his love was executed for trying to abandon her life as a ninja at the hands of the Ozunu Clan. From there, Raizo grew to hate the only family he knew and left the clan himself after being ordered to kill another clan member attempting to escape.

The opening sequence pretty much sums up the pace of the movie — quick and brutal. Of course, much of the fight scenes and blood splatter have been stylized with CG special effects, but what movie produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers aren't?

Of course, the film suffers from a few cheap lines and lots of water-downed clichés that could make you wonder if the filmmakers are trying to be funny. Obviously not. But it's certainly borderlines insulting your intelligence. Fortunately, those things aren't the reasons why you'd pay to watch this movie. I hope not.

Ninja Assassin delivers tons of slice 'em and dice 'em almost as fast as you can blink. There are some gore but really nothing to disdain your hour and a half. But if you can't handle a whole lot of intense fighting, then maybe you should go out and rent any Jason Statham flick.

Ninja Assassin (2009) (Warner Bros., Dark Castle Entertainment, Legendary Pictures, Inc., Silver Productions, Anarchos Productions, Inc.). MPAA rating: R for strong, stylized bloody violence throughout and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes. Now Playing.

ACTION: A

FUN FACTOR: A+

STORY: C+
ACTING: C
ORIGINALITY: C
SCORE: B
MUSIC: B-
STUPID LEVEL: 4/10
VERDICT: Has more action per minute than any other action movie in its entirety.

A Road Less Travelled

2009-12-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

MOVIE REVIEW: The end of the world has always been a popular avenue for movies for decades and seems to be trying to make a comeback with Knowing, 2012, the upcoming The Book of Eli, and now The Road — based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country For Old Men.

The film centers a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smith-McPhee) who must travel south to the open shores of the Atlantic Ocean for safe haven after an unknown cataclysmic event torched the planet while fighting cannibals, hunger, and the growing cold climate.

The Road isn't your typical drama nor your usual end of the world flick. But, it's slow-paced (not painstakingly though) but with some riveting acting and unforgettable images. The story of the two main characters are told through short flashbacks but nothing is explained in details. Yup, you will have to connect the pieces yourself, but there's really nothing complicated.

The movie wanted to stay as close to the novel's intention of focusing on the father and his son's journey rather than going into intimate details of their past. In other words, it will rely on the audience's intelligence to put the rest of story together.

Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, and Charlize Theron are credited but their roles are small and have very limited screen time. Duvall plays an old nomad, Pearce a family man with a rifle, and Theron as the father's wife.

I've always heralded Mortensen as one of the best and underrated actors around, and his portrayal of the over-protective but dying father is one of, if not, his best performance ever. His ability to extend his character's emotions through the tone of his voice, the obvious and subtleties of his body language, and eyes is just utter brilliance.

The casting of Smith-McPhee as his son was spot-on also. This kid delivered acting chops rarely seen from any young actor but especially from a 13 year-old.

While there are no explosions, car chases, or martial-arts fight scenes, The Road is a delicate but bold investigation of the human heart and spirit as well as the dark tendencies of our survival instincts.

So is the movie worth the ticket price and wasting almost 2 hours? Absolutely! That is if you fancy heart-wrenching but outstanding drama.

The Road (2009) (Dimension Films). MPAA rating: R for violence, disturbing images and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes. Now Playing.

DRAMA: A

ACTING: A+

STORY: B
ORIGINALITY: B+
SCORE: B+
STUPID LEVEL: 1/10
VERDICT: A tear-jerker with teeth

Game Review: Left 4 Dead 2

2009-11-22T20:53:00.000-08:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: I've been a fan of zombie films since I was young, and there's still no one out there who makes better zombie movies than George A. Romero. But that doesn't mean it would be easy for me to like the first Left 4 Dead just because of the zombies.

Nope, I was highly critical of it, but it won me over almost instantly. L4D just captures the essence of Romero and Danny Boyle's (28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later) style for zombies, and the action is absolutely non-stop blood and guts.

Left 4 Dead 2 is simply the bigger and better version of it. How much bigger? It now takes at least an hour and a half to complete one poster compared to about an hour in L4D. How much better? Well, where do I start?

Not only are there more weapons and more types of zombies, the action comes from all directions. All zombies close enough to see your or hear gunghots, they start running for you. So it's best that you get acquainted with your quick turn-around button real soon.

The Spitter is particularly a nasty zombie because of the potential amount of damage and the range it can inflict. The Tank comes less frequently (depending on the difficulty you choose), but its "lite" version, the Charger, can be a nuisance and hard to avoid when it charges at you, especially when it shows up during a horde run.

The chainsaw is probably your most efficient and messiest melee weapon available. But unlike any other weapon of its kind, it's only useful until it runs out of fuel. Adjust the gore level to high and you'll start enjoying that bad boy even more! The auto shotgun is back, but it's not nearly as fast as its original version. In fact, there are 4 kinds of shotguns in this game (pump, chrome, auto, and combat) that differ in rate of fire and looks.

The final stage of each level has been changed dramatically. In fact, they really enforce teamwork play and a bit of survival strategy much more than any other time in the game. You might even find that all four players or characters should not be in the same place but rather in different vantage points just to separate the hordes of zombies coming in.

By the way, after the first arrival of the tank in these stages, two tanks will come in after to finish off whoever's left of the survivors. So watch out for that!

The finale for "The Parish" takes place on a dual-level bridge that requires the survivors to run the entire length of the bridge shooting down the oncoming traffic of the undead. To top it off, the bridge has been severely damaged from the military's bomb runs leaving huge gaps in certain sections making survival even more difficult. What I love about this stage is it's really relentless at testing every bit of your Left 4 Dead skills whether it's shooting, running, jumping, climbing, your ability to shove away zombies, and your willingness to go back and help out fallen teammates who may have been smothered or have fallen on the edge of the bridge and are clinging for dear life. This stage alone personifies what Left 4 Dead 2 brings to the gaming community.

L4D2 also features one of the most impressive weather effects in "Hard Rain." The monsoon in that level is just awesome! If you have any decent sound system, you will swear you're right in the middle of it.

There are also more health packs to go around inside each safe room. Some of these are larger than others often having a second story with a different set of weapons and another set of health packs waiting.

Overall, Left 4 Dead 2 is another impressive classic from Valve. It's one of those games you'll be playing until the next installment comes out. It's fun, addictive, and has a high replay value. Truly a must-have!

Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve). Platforms: XBox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. Genre: First-Person Shooter. Player(s): Up to 4 players. ESRB Rating: Mature (M)

GAMEPLAY: A+
GAME DESIGN: A+
STORY: B-
GRAPHICS: A
SOUND: A
MUSIC: B
VOICE ACTING: B-
REPLAY VALUE: A
RENT OR BUY?: An absolute must-have!

The Best Got Better

2009-11-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: It's no secret there's nothing in the video gaming world as immersive as a first-person shooter which is why there's a sea of them out there but nothing quite like the Call of Duty series. Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is hands down the cream of the crop and sets the bar for other FPS games.

The first Modern Warfare broke all kinds of barriers in which most other FPS games call standard. Modern Warfare 2 goes even beyond that with jaw-dropping realism, supremely stunning graphics, eye-drying intense action, and a storyline that reflects real world current events.

MW2 takes place five years after the original. This time Task Force 141 must stop Imran Zakhaev's successor Vladimir Makarov, the new leader of the Russian Ultranationalists. Makarov has proven to be the more daring and more cold-blooded of the two making him a more dangerous and elusive man to deal with.

There are a total of 4 playable characters in the Campaign Mode, including Soap Mactavish. Soap is now the captain of Task Force 141 and will have a few missions alongside former mentor Capt. Price. The missions (23 in all) are short but each packed with a lot of action and are different in situations and locations. Some of these missions require you to drive a snow mobile, shoot the mini-gun of a helicopter, shoot the 50-caliber gun of an armored transport, maneuver a speed river raft through a rocky Colorado basin. But there is, however, one level in the game that will test your sensitivity towards terrorist attacks. It's so disturbing that Infinity Ward has included an option for the player to skip this level before a new campaign is started.

As usual, there are plenty of weapons to choose from with most having either a shotgun or grenade launcher as a secondary fire. There are also two new features available for certain guns in certain missions. Some guns with a scope now have the ability to see body heat and is quite effective even in daylight. And some now have a built-in feature that detects an enemy's heartbeat (similar to the proximity detector seen in the Aliens movies). You will also have the ability to wield two sidearms, but only if you happen to kill an enemy who has them.

A few elements have been thrown into the game, including climbing the side of a frozen mountain in Russia and swimming out of a submarine to launch a search and rescue inside in an oil rig. The player will also have a Predator that could launch an air-to-ground missile at your command and in your control during some missions. While the reloading speed is extremely slow, its results are satisfyingly devastating. The placement of the enemies are now random and is never predictable. You will often find yourself looking over your shoulders frequently and rely on switching from your primary weapon to your secondary gun and back even on normal setting.

All in all, Modern Warfare 2 does more and will keep your trigger-finger happy even if it only takes about 8 hours to finish it. The level of difficulty between the settings is quite remarkable. The added Special Ops that allows you to play co-operatively offline, solo, and online is a nice touch considering that the online multi-player gameplay isn't that much improved.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward/Activision). Platforms: XBox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. Genre: First-Person Shooter. Player(s): 1 and Multi-Player (online and offline). ESRB Rating: Mature (M)

GAMEPLAY: A+
GAME DESIGN: A+
STORY: A
GRAPHICS: A+
SOUND: A+
MUSIC: A
VOICE ACTING: A
REPLAY VALUE: B
RENT OR BUY?: Are you kidding me? Go out and buy it NOW!

Avatar Extended Second Trailer

2009-11-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

For all of you Avatar-ians, here is the extended second trailer of one of the most anticipated non-sequel Sci-Fi movie in movie-making history. You've probably seen it many times already, but I'm sure you still haven't had enough of it.

I've been highly critical of Sci-Fi movies lately since the disaster that it is The Phantom Menace because high-budget Sci-Fi films that has come out over the last decade are nothing more than eye candy. Somewhere between the conceptual stage and the special effects, these movies have lost the meaning of what it is to carry such a genre...imagination!

But I have a lot of faith in James Cameron because of the track record of introducing something different, something that has so much heart and humanity in it that any special effects, creature, or killer cyborg from the future just becomes the icing on the cake. The more I see Avatar, the more I'm convinced that this is the next big thing. Enjoy!

Summer 2010 Movie First Trailers

2009-11-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (May 28, 2010)

Here is the first trailer to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, and Alfred Molina

The movie looks like it has a lot of action and special effects, but the chemistry between Gyllenhall and Arterton feels pushy. So does the humor.

Salt (July 23, 2010)

This is the first trailer for Angelina Jolie's latest action-thriller about a CIA operative named Evelyn Salt who is accused of being a Russian spy by a Russian defector.

This is the movie that was attached to Tom Cruise but somehow backed out of the deal for some unknown reason. The film was originally titled, Edwin as in Edwin A. Salt. In fact, he also decided to permanently leave another political-thriller called, The 28th Amendment. I think Tom is saving all of his espionage action for the fourth installment of Mission: Impossible.

Video Game Preview: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2009-11-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

It's only 8 days until the official release of what's expected to be one of the top 3 finalists for "Game of the Year" this year and certainly the best military first-person shooter ever. Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3, XBox 360, PC) is the sixth installment of the Call of Duty franchise and is the sequel to game that instantly changed the landscape of first-person shooters in 2007.

MW2 is the event several years after Modern Warfare. Task Force 141 is once again called upon to stop the new leader of the Russian Ultranationalists Vladimir Makarov, a former associate of the former leader Imran Zakhaev. Makarov has more plans for the Ultranationalists and is more aggressive than Zakhaev with his ability to build a strong hold of Russia in just a few years.

This time, you play a commando named, Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson. Sgt. "Soap" MacTavish (the player role in the first Modern Warfare) is back but is no longer a playable character. MacTavish has been promoted to Captain and is now the leader of Task Force 141. I think that's about the thing you can do for someone who was the sole survivor of that infamous bridge finally in the original game.

MW2 missions will be set from Russia to exotic Rio de Janeiro. There is a new cooperative mode called, Special Ops, designed similarly to the "Mile High Club" of the first Warfare. The missions for Special Ops are independent to the that of the campaign mode. Up to 4 players can play this mode alone, split-screen locally, or online. There are 23 missions and 3 stars available for each mission (69 total), the groups are divided to Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta.

The campaign mode is believed to be of the same length of hours (8-10) to complete as that of the original Warfare. Downloadable map packs will be available, but will be released for XBox Live before PS3 and Microsoft. About the most significant change in MW2 is the ability to use handguns akimbo-style (dual guns).

As for the online mulitplayer mode? It has the same experience points and unlockable reward system as the first. There are 15 different kill streak rewards to be used and unlocked and upgrading perks to a "pro version" is now available. Aside from the new cache of weaponry and equipment, the best addition to online mode is what is called an "in-game host migration," which is the ability to stay in a match when the host leaves and the game searches for a new host to resume play.

For PC, the multiplayer mode will now go through Steam removing the need for dedicated servers so mods and community maps are no longer allowed. Plus, VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) is now the new anti-cheat system replacing PunkBuster. The implementation of anti-cheat systems on multiplayer PC gaming is a blessing. I really can't stand those who feel the need to cheat to make themselves look like they can play. I'm no psychologist but if you need to cheat on this game maybe FPS games aren't for you. Get a life!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (released Nov. 10) will be another classic epic from Infinity Ward. Who can wait to play this game? I can't!

The Boys Are Back!

2009-11-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

MOVIE REVIEW: Knowing that this sequel was miraculously made and will probably be the last Saints, I was concerned that writer/director Troy Duffy may have been forced to "fluff" the sequel to his arguably entertaining The Boondock Saints to gain more theatrical audiences instead of another DVD following. But don't fret all you Saints worshippers, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day has more action, more violence, more humor, and one more Saint than the first!

Ten years after the original, Saints II sees the Macmanus brothers, Connor and Murphy (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus), living a shepherd's life in Ireland when news comes of a murdered priest whose death made to look like their job. The brothers then quickly shed their ugly, scruffy looks and head back to the old stomping grounds of Boston to kill the mob responsible akimbo-style.

Clifton Collins Jr. plays the new "brother" Romeo, a wise-cracking Hispanic vigilante with one of the most outrageous hairdo in Hollywood history. Obviously, Romeo is the comedy relief that balances all the violence and stagnant moments (and there are some especially the flashbacks). I've always admired Collins for his acting chops in any type of genre. His portrayal of Romeo is no different. The character is probably the single best addition to this vigilante story.

Collins is joined by another newbie Julie Benz who plays the high-heel wearing FBI agent, Eunice Bloom who is assigned to hunt down the boys. She is aided by the three inept detectives who helped the boys in the original.

Bloom's character is quite interesting because she is far from the inspired creation of Romeo. In fact, she is so generic that you feel so sorry for Benz having been forced to make whatever good in putting some life into her. Benz has some moments but falters the rest of the way mainly because she seems to more concerned with the Southern accent cliché which tends to get annoying and tiresome.

There is a special and suprising cameo by a legendary actor towards the end of the film which I won't give away.

Overall, The Boondocks Saints II: All Saints Day will entertain you and succeeds the original in a lot of areas. The flashbacks often break the rhythm of the story which makes you wonder if Murphy was trying to allude to another sequel or simply perhaps cramming a trilogy into one movie. It's a setback that could have been planned out differently but may have been unavoidable all together.

The Boondocks Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) (Apparition, Stage 6 Films). MPAA rating: R for bloody violence, language, and some nudity. Running Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes. Now Playing in limited release.

ACTION: B+

VIOLENCE: A-

FUN FACTOR: B

STORY: C-
ORIGINALITY: C
ACTING: B
STUPID LEVEL: 4/10
VERDICT: It doesn't have the mystique of the original but will entertain nonetheless.

A True Filmmaking Treat

2009-10-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: From time to time as if nature intended it, a film lands in our lap that redefines a genre or a style of filmmaking and resets all the monotonous, overdone "efforts" Hollywood has been endlessly bombarding us. Oren Peli's ingeniously frightening Paranormal Activity is nothing short of phenomenal.

The movie documents the story of a 30-ish couple (Katie and Micah) who recently purchased a starter home in suburban San Diego but soon discovers that they might be sharing their new home with something evil. Micah, the boyfriend, decides to use his video camera in hopes of capturing any evidence of the menacing force that tends to be active when the couple's asleep at night. What is recorded in skipped timeline will scare you like nothing else in decades.

While the pace of the movie is slow, it must be understood that you are not watching a normal movie but a highly-planned psychological game between the visuals and the audience's imagination and individual belief of what supernatural is.

I was often telling myself that this film was done by an amateur filmmaker with a shoestring budget. Yet to see how it never lets go of you once it gets you is really something to admire and be inspired by.

The disturbing images (and they are good) slowly builds up the fear in you until the very end when the movie falsely comforts you into thinking that the entity has reached the limits of its abilities.

However, there is a mild level of absurdity with how the characters interact with one another and how they initially tried to deal with the problem. But if you think that facing a demonic presence is dumber than standing up to a huge chainsaw-weilding maniac with a screwdriver, then you probably are more intelligent than this movie.

While the film isn't based on any actual events, Paranormal Activity has been all too real to some viewers leaving them feeling unsettled during and long after seeing it. Sure, the fear effect of the film is debatable. But, you can't deny the bold creativity and heart of Peli's imagination.

Paranormal Activity isn't for anyone who isn't comfortable with using their imagination and abandoning any of their expectations. Just allow yourself be taken by the movie. You won't regret it. But make sure you have a nightlight handy before going to bed.

Paranormal Activity (2009) (Paramount Pictures). MPAA rating: R for language and disturbing images. Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes. Now Playing. Currently #1 at the box office (10/25/09) with a weekend gross of $33,171,743.

SCARE FACTOR: A

FUN FACTOR: A

STORY: C+
ORIGINALITY: A+
ACTING: B
STUPID LEVEL: 2/10
VERDICT: Sleep tight. If you can.

An Astro-nomical Adventure!

2009-10-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: I expected a much worse rendition of the animated TV series that pioneered anime, but this contemporary yet retro CG-animated Astro Boy actually does a decent job of re-introducing Osamu Tezuka's classic icon back into the scene.

Contrary to those movie critics who over-analyze family movies, Astro Boy provides fast-paced action within a futuristic environment that follows the adventure of an awesome superhero boy robot that lives in a floating city, and discovers that it has cool powers and ability to stop bad guys and bad robots. Add a few mildly-challenging themes that kids will eventually figure out (yes, they're not stupid), and you got yourself a fun hour and a half Sci-Fi ride for the boys and girls.

In this 2009 revival, we see scientist Dr. Tenma (voiced by Nicolas Cage) creating a super robot that thinks like his deceased son Toby (Freddie Highmore). The death of his son leaves Tenma remorseful and regretful because he spends more time as a scientist than a father to Toby. Little does he know that Toby's metallic replacement, "Astro Boy" will become the savior of Metro City from its war-crazy president (Donald Sutherland) and his evil war-bot.

Director and Co-Writer David Bowers and Co-Writer Timothy Hyde Harris do a faithful job at sticking to the anime elements of the original Astro Boy stories, including the political layer and the borderline over/proper human reliance to technology and machines exemplary tale. More importantly, they left enough of the adult ingredients that Tezuka originally intended his stories for but simplified it enough for the young viewers to slowly comprehend.

For taking such a risk in maintaining some adult themes, I must applaud them because these are the type of uncertainties filmmakers must agree to go along with in order to fully adapt someone else's timeless tale and respect those who have an emotional or childhood bond with the original work.

Imagi Studios's Astro Boy will not disappoint its true target audience. While it isn't a perfect adaptation of the original classic, its modernized visuals and superhero story will not and should not alienate the young viewers. But, the familiar themes from its anime roots give enough nod for the fans of the original black and white.

Astro Boy (2009) (Imagi Studios and Summit Entertainment, LLC). MPAA rating: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language. Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes. Now Playing.

ACTION: B+
ADVENTURE: B

FUN FACTOR: B

STORY: B-
ORIGINALITY: N/A
VOICE-ACTING: B
SCORE: B+
STUPID LEVEL: 4/10
VERDICT: A superhero boy robot with cool powers in a futuristic world. What's not to like? Right kids?

Latest Upcoming Game Trailers

2009-10-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you waiting to see a full trailer to next month's highly-anticipated Left 4 Dead 2, wait no more! Here is the UNCENSORED leaked trailer that pretty much prove how kick-ass this game is going to be:

Army of Two 40th Day: Extraction is a bonus game for those who pre-order Army of Two 40th Day due out January 12, 2010. Here is the HD trailer for Extraction:

Bioshock 2 is another long-awaited release. Bioshock was one of the most original video games ever. But, the sequel looks to be better. And it does look amazing! Bioshock 2 is due to be released Feb. 2, 2010. Here is the HD trailer:

I must say that each time I see a video clip for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, I just get goosebumps when I see how massive and how action-filled this game will be when it comes out Nov. 10. Can't wait! Here is the "Infamy" HD trailer:

And last but certainly not the least, here are two trailers to Assassin's Creed 2 (out Nov. 17). The first is a short movie teaser and the second is the TGS trailer that explains how Ezio became an Assassin. This game will redefine the word "epic."

Hope you folks enjoyed these clips. More new trailers from the most awaited games coming sooner than you think!

Movie Spotlights: Dead Air, Boondock Saints 2, and Black Dynamite

2009-10-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

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A suspense/horror thriller directed by Corbin Bernsen finished filming more than a year ago but will be released October 27th.

Dead Air is centered around an egotistical radio jockey Logan Burnhardt whose coolheaded personality is put to the test when terrorists launched a toxic attack on Los Angeles turning everyone into zombies.

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In one of the most anticipated sequel in history, Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day reunites writer and director Troy Duffy with stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus who play Irish brothers turned vigilantes.

In this follow-up to the 1999 cult-classic, the McManus brothers (Connor and Murphy) are now shepherds but the murder of a priest in Boston has been setup to make the brothers to be the killers. Connor and Murphy must go back to their blood and guns way to find the person behind it all.

Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day will be released October 30th.

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In this blackploitation parody, Michael Jai White stars and co-writes the story of a 1970s Black-American legend, Black Dynamite whose brother was murdered and neighborhood corrupted by heroin and liquor by "The Man." Black Dynamite must take it upon himself to fight "The Man" to avenge his brother and take back the streets.

I never thought of White as a comedian, but this one is hilarious! It's got lots of good martial arts fight scenes too.

Black Dynamite is now playing.

Cowboy Bebop Still Alive

2009-10-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

During an interview last month with MTV News to promote his new film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Keanu Reeves dropped an update on his next anime-based live-action movie Cowboy Bebop.

Early this year, the pre-production ran into some trouble mainly with the budget, which Reeves sarcastically described as "half a billion dollars," projected to make the movie based on the first draft submitted by writer Peter Craig. So, 20th Century Fox requested Craig to rewrite it to lower the price tag.

Craig is a novelist specializing in protoganists that have real-world personal issues. Producer Erwin Stoff and Sunrise, Inc. (the Japanese production company that created the anime TV series) producer Kenji Uchida and director Shinichiro Watanabe feel good about having Craig write the screenplay because of what he's proven he can do with character-driven stories.

Cowboy Bebop is a half-hour Japanese anime series in 1998 that follows the adventures of three bounty hunters (Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine) who roam space in their ship called, the Bebop, in 2071 catching criminals because the regular police just doesn't have enough manpower to do so.

What makes Cowboy Bebop an instant cult classic and refreshingly different from a sea of anime movies is its combination of action, adventure, comedy, western, low-tech sci-fi, Hong Kong gangster movies, and noir.

Reeves is attached to play the role of Spike, who is a former member of a mob called, the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. No actors have been announced yet to play Jet and Faye.

Many fans of the anime series are furious about the casting of Reeves believing that the actor just doesn't have what it takes to play the cool yet haunted hero who also happens to be a master of Bruce Lee's martial arts technique, the Jeet Kune Do.

Not only that, Craig has some big shoes to fill in making his adaptation. Anime-series writer Keiko Nobumoto consistently creates great plots and sub-plots for each episode while staying true to the tone of each characters and style of the series, which makes the involvement of Uchida and Watanabe so vital to the movie's success in reproducing the anime's mystique.

As of now, it's too early to tell if this venture will fly or crash. Yet, the thought of having a live-action version of one of my favorite anime ever is quite exciting!

Obviously, there's still no date yet on when production will begin. So stay tuned!

Blind Wild Child

2009-10-17T00:24:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: When I first heard about Spike Jonze making an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's controversial ode to the wild child in all of us Where The Wild Things Are, I was very skeptical. How can anyone in Hollywood let alone Jonze could effectively create a live-action embodiment of such a perfectedly crafted tale that told countless children for the past four decades that someone out there understood their brutish side?

Turns out, I was right.

It's quite evident that Jonze was too occupied in using traditional filmmaking in creating his self-gratifying version of the children's book by putting more words in it than the 10 sentences that graced the 37-page classic. Whether it was by force in order to get the full support of Warner Bros. or by his own design, Jonze comes across as another ill-advised filmmaker that really doesn't know what he's doing.

By putting that much dialogue by his own adulterated interpretation of the book's genuine effect on children, Where The Wild Things Are loses that certain magic that the original work has provided all these years and became an embarassingly crude movie that can't even connect itself with either its adult or young audience.

Instead, we have something that makes Max, the boy in the book, and the creatures that tame and shelter his childhood angst as nothing more than lewd and obnoxious characters that rarely ever reflect their hardback roots.

What makes Sendak's book so special is that it leaves the story to the individual imagination of each child that turns its pages. That is something Jonze could never see.

If nothing else, Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are is the true example of Hollywood's inexplicable uncontrollable urge to modernize something that already works.

Where The Wild Things Are (2009) (Warner Bros). MPAA rating: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language. Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes. Now Playing.

COMEDY FACTOR: C-

FUN FACTOR: D+

STORY: A
ORIGINALITY: F
ACTING: B
SCORE: B
MUSIC: B
STUPID LEVEL: 9/10
VERDICT: You're better off sticking to the book, PLEASE!

A Thriller To Bewilder

2009-10-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: At first glance, I thought that Overture Films' Law Abiding Citizen is a revenge story with a unique twist. Well, it's a revenge story alright and does have a unique twist to it. But, that twist is mainly reserved for the villain/hero that gives this film an intriguing texture that crosses the line of creepy.

The story surrounds the tragedy of Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler), a wealthy inventor and family man whose little girl and wife were brutally raped and murdered during a home invasion. But, the apathetic, virtuoso Assistant D.A. Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) assigned to the case makes a deal with one of the killers to testify against his own group for a light sentence. Ten years later, Shelton has transformed into something more hideous than the very men that took his family away.

Unexpectedly enough, Butler gave a disturbingly good performance as both a gentle but shattered man and the flesh and blood abomination of the suffering and anger he sustained for a decade.

From this point on, the film grows darker and begs the audience not to focus so much on the absurdity that somehow elevates as the story progresses. We see Shelton torturing some of the men he deemed responsible for the injustice as if he was the "Jigsaw Killer" in the Saw franchise himself, which the movie couldn't deny and added a scene where Shelton is watching an installment of Saw for some inspiration.

Instead of using macabre contraptions, Shelton uses highly-programmed robotics to do his dirty work while being behind bars to keep Rice a step behind and to provide the most believable part of his quest for justice.

Speaking of such a word, writer Kurt Wimmer and director F. Gary Gray somehow decided to bombard the audience with the moral code of justice and injustice through the dialogues of the different characters. It is as though the two wanted to make sure to remind the audience that the movie is a revenge/thriller story and not a misguided attempt to mock any blood and guts horror films.

It's unfortunate because by the end of the film, you're left with trying to figure out if the movie was ever serious about the very message it's trying to convey.

For awhile, you understand and sympathize with Shelton as he goes about murdering each of his target, but then you find yourself becoming terrified of him in the end. This is the biggest flaw of the movie that I can't comprehend as to why it was never resolved.

All in all, Law Abiding Citizen has enough bite to keep you caring to see the next scene. It does suffer from a few areas that doesn't quite add up, and it really asks too much of your willingness to immerse yourself in order to make you believe in or root for Shelton at times.

But there's really not enough glaring miscues or work to appreciate to make this thriller anything less or more than a passable film. It truly is one of those movies that splits the audience to some who like it and some who don't.

Law Abiding Citizen (2009) (Overture Films). MPAA rating: R for strong and brutal violence, scene of rape, and pervasive language. Running Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes. Now Playing.

THRILL FACTOR: C
FUN FACTOR: C
STORY: C-
ORIGINALITY: B-
ACTING: A-
SCORE: B
STUPID LEVEL: 7/10
VERDICT: A thriller that started with a unique idea but ended up falling trap to its own dubious way of engaging its audience

Movie Preview: Red Cliff

2009-10-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

If you love epic historical war movies, then you should pay close attention to John Woo's take on China's most legendary battle called, Red Cliff (originally The Battle of Red Cliff).

Woo is no stranger to historical war movies having been directed the flop-o-rama Windtalkers which was a painfully uninspired, generic action-movie set in World War II. That movie, along with Paycheck, became Woo's one way ticket to a temporary exile back to China.

But don't fret Woo fans. I have a big feeling this war movie will not disappoint. The film simply looks amazing! It looks like Woo is back to making films that dubbed him a legend in Hong Kong.

Red Cliff is based on the Battle of Chibi, a battle that catapulted the end of the Han Dynasty in 208 A.D.. The movie follows the zealous Prime Minister Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) who wanted to become China's Emperor by unifying all kingdoms into a single empire. To do that, he must rid of all the warlords governing each kingdom.

After learning that Liu Bei (Yong You), the warlord from the west and Sun Quan (Chen Chang), a ruler from the south had joined forces against him, Cao Cao sends an army of more than 200,000 soldiers and 2,000 ships south of China to eliminate this allied forces of merely 50,000. However, Bei and Quan collaborated on a strategy that eventually defeated Cao Cao's seemingly overwhelming military might.

The movie also stars five-time Hong Kong Film Award winner Tony Leung who stars as Zhou Yu, Quan's Viceroy who befriended Bei's military advisor Zhuge Liang (played by hearthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro).

Leung is one of my favorite actors around anywhere because he's so versatile and flawless on each of his roles. Not many actors anywhere can command a screen as strong as he could. Plus, his movies are all blockbuster hits!

The North American version of the film has been edited to about 2 1/2 hours. It's Asian version was split into two parts. Part 1 was released September 2008 and Part 2 in December 2008. Each part runs for at least 2 hours. The Asian version delves into each of the main characters more in hopes of educating the audience the historical importance of that battle to China as well as the world.

Red Cliff is the most expensive film production in Asia to date at $85million and became an instant sensation everywhere outside the western hemisphere. The film is slated to be released limitedly in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 20 then goes nationwide Nov. 25th.

See the trailer below:

A Diamond Without The Rough

2009-10-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: In 2007, Naughty Dog released a PS3 exclusive video game unlike no one has ever seen. The graphics was drop-dead gorgeous. The gameplay was nothing short of inspiring. The characters and storyline rival that of any Hollywood blockbuster.

Two years later, they've outdone themselves.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves exceeds the original by a mile! It's already getting so much rave reviews from critics and gamers because the storyline is epic; the graphics (powered by Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 and Havok game physics) are even more detailed being 720p-native resolution; the sound and score perfectly puts the visuals and game situations together; the motion-capture is superb; the voice-acting is the best I've heard; the controls are even more fluid; and the gameplay blows everything else away.

In this sequel, Nathan Drake helps out an old friend in stealing an ancient Tibetan lamp from a museum believing that Marco Polo hid something inside it that reveals the location of the 551 ships that perished in his voyage home from China holding an untold number of treasure. One being the Cintamani stone. A one-of-a-kind rock with divinity powers believed to be somewhere inside the mythical hidden city of Shamballah, better known as Shangri-La.

Uncharted 2 now features stealth as an open option to taking down enemies, improved climbing mechanics that makes gameplay even more frustration-free, and reducing the time it takes to kill enemies with guns. Not only that, the game really allows for the seamless integration of hand-to-hand combat during a gunfight by giving you more health.

The aim controls are so fluid and accurate that it puts most first-person shooters to shame. There's really no learning curve because the controls are simple, and the aim sensitivity is on the spot.

The variety of guns also change depending on where you are in the game and the type of enemies you kill which makes each new location as much of a character in the game rather than just a change in scenery. For example, the game provides you with an MP40 sub-machine gun and a P-90 pistol in the chapter where Drake finds out that the Nazis also attempted to discover Shamballah after seeing the bodies of Nazi soldiers inside an important location. And a crossbow becomes available once Drake reaches the Tibetan village and the Tibetan mountains.

The mixture of action, adventure, drama, and humor keeps you entertained every minute of the game. The dialogue is extremely well-written and is often the source of good fun before and after an action sequence.

The climbing, jumping, and sliding down a wire never feel like a task. In fact, they're almost as fun as shooting or punching an enemy out of commission.

The puzzles are never inexplicably difficult yet could never be solved without Drake's journal. They are designed to simulate the experience of a real world adventurer pain-stakingly researching every inch of everything associated with a lost treasure. So, there's no way any everyday Joe could even begin to understand what it is he or she is looking at.

Just like the original, there's a sub-task of finding a piece of treasure scattered everywhere in every level. These treasures are generally hard to spot (even if they shimmer) will allow you to purchase weapons for your online-only multi-player mode from the game's store feature.

From the opening scene where the player is put in the middle of saving Drake from falling into a deep plunge inside a train car dangling and sliding over the cliff's edge down to its explosive, puzzle-filled end in the frozen Tibetan mountains, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves flexes the power of the Playstation 3 and your imagination. It's an outstanding game that hybrids a video game with an action-suspense movie which makes for a significantly hard experience to find anywhere else.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment). Platforms: Playstation 3. Genre: Third-person action-adventure/third-person shooter/puzzle. Player(s): 1 and Multi-Player (Online). ESRB Rating: Teen (T)

GAMEPLAY: A+
GAME DESIGN: A
STORY: A
GRAPHICS: A+
SOUND: A-
MUSIC: A
VOICE ACTING: A+
REPLAY VALUE: B
RENT OR BUY?: A 110% doubt-free MUST BUY!!!

Marital Bleek

2009-10-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: Vince Vaughn is the new Renee Zellwegger. I mean he's been on almost every romantic-comedy since The Break-Up that I can remember. Don't get me wrong. Vaugn is funny...but in small doses.

In his new comedy, Couples Retreat, Vaughn plays Dave. A man whose marriage is slowly going into the dumps. But of course, he's not alone. All three of his pals (Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, and Faizon Love) have other reasons but are still on the same marital boat going over a waterfall.

The four agree to pitch in on an island couples only therapy session in sunny Bora Bora in hopes of rekindling their marriages at a resort run by a flighty Frenchman named Marcel (Jean Reno).

While the cast is entertaining and have good chemistry, it's everything else that really ruins this pre-mature mid-life crisis story. Yes, this is a comedy that isn't expected to have an award worthy writing. But, at least, have some organization instead of being forced to watch an edited version of a wedding honeymoon in hell.

What the movie is hoping to do in the end is make the audience feel better about their own relationship. But if it thinks by using a tired cliché of men and women being from different planets by having the guys give themselves therapy with beer and video games and the women have a girl-to-girl talk to console one another, it better hope that the comedy is good enough for the moviegoers to not care about it.

Fortunately enough, the movie has a few moments of good laughs but overall a long Vaughn-depended vehicle that can get borderline annoying and sparkling.

Couples Retreat (2009) (Universal Pictures). MPAA rating: PG-13 for sexual content and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes. Now Playing. U.S. Box Office Gross: $35.3 million (10/11/09). Currently at #1 in Box Office Sales (10/11/09).

COMEDY FACTOR: B

FUN FACTOR: D

STORY: D
ORIGINALITY: F
ACTING: C
SCORE: C
MUSIC: C
STUPID LEVEL: 7/10
VERDICT: You're own marital problems will make more sense but probably won't be as funny.

Almost The Best One Yet

2009-10-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: NBA 2K9 was the best basketball simulation video game I've ever played hands down. So, it was natural to get hyped up for the 10th year anniversary installment expecting it to sharpen a few blurry corners of 2K9 and the new features I've been hearing about developed for 2K10.

NBA 2K10 has a ton of hits but also has a few disturbing misses that I thought they've already permanently erased from past versions.

The first noticeable improvement on 2K10 is the graphics. The faces and skin are extremely detailed. Every mole, every drop of sweat, and every skin flaw are on full display. Eye movements are more realistic. You can now "hear" what the players are shouting and saying whenever the camera takes a close-up during stoppage in action.

But, interestingly enough the jerseys and tattoos don't look as good as last year's game. I'd rather have the developers skim on background graphics than anything that matter most.

The controls on post-up plays have changed. The backdown button is gone. Instead, the left stick controls the player movements while the left stick controls the shot. It will take some getting used to, but fortunately there's now a post-up session in practice mode.

There are problems that go along with this new system. One is there are certain angles where even a great post player cannot back down a defender. You are then forced to drop-step pump fake or execute an up-and-under move to get a shot off.

The turbo feature has been dramatically redesigned. Depending on the player's stamina level, you have at least 3 to 4 seconds of turbo before you begin to slow down. But the weird thing is the players feel more sluggish even on turbo compared to 2K9 which will most likely make you even more depended on the turbo button.

It's no longer as easy to go around your defender even without "Intense-D" which adds a level of absurdness when you consider Kobe Bryant having trouble going around against anybody.

There is an annoying glitch of the new game design where your player will try to back down a defender when you get close enough trying to run pass him. This is part of the problem of removing the back down button. The game has a hard time identifying when you're trying to go around your defender or attempting to post-up.

Average-to-bad post players can sometimes make the most outrageous hook shots over good post defenders. A lot of times on shots to beat the 24-second clock! On that note, the game still hasn't corrected that annoying feature of anybody with a 70 or above 3-point field goal rating being automatic when beating the 24-second clock even with "clutch factor" turned off. What's up with that?!

A one man full-court pressure by any point guard ranking 70 and above is sometimes enough to keep your point guard from getting past the half court line before the 8-second count, especially when your point guard isn't a road runner. Ridiculous!

For some reason, the game also does not allow you to stand close to the player you're defending at all. Each time you try, the game automatically moves your player just outside an arm's length from your guy. So if you're guarding someone who has a quick release like a Ray Allen or a Rashard Lewis, a quick pass to that player will give him more than enough space to launch that three no matter how good of a defender your player is. That's pretty cheap!

Instead of concentrating on what new songs to add or what new features (which most are pretty useless...trust me!), why can't Visual Concepts just add to the game instead of constantly "revising" things that already works?

Visual Concepts also boasts about putting an easier dribbling system. Really? I could barely notice the difference.

On another good note, commentators Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg have a more believable back-and-forth talk and will now comment on your team's progression to better or worse during the game, your streak, your playoff chances, key games in your schedule, etc. However, the game still uses a lot of their 2K9 dialogue which sounds out of place no matter how they're mixed into the new ones.

But the best new feature of 2K10 is the ability to save your game at anytime! Yep, even in the middle of a game. When you load your saved game, it starts off exactly where you left off! Sweet!

Overall, NBA 2K10 is mainly an advertisement for those new to the franchise (or to those Lakers bandwagoners). While the new graphics, new roster, new commentaries, and new post play system are much needed improvements, the rest of the game are nothing more than disappointing "filler" features to an already great franchise.

NBA 2K10 (Visual Concepts/2K Sports). Platforms: Playstation 3/XBox 360/Playstation 2/PSP/Wii/PC. Genre: Sports. Player(s): 2. ESRB Rating: Everyone (E)
GAMEPLAY: B-
GAME DESIGN: B
STORY: N/A
GRAPHICS: A-
SOUND: A
MUSIC: B+
VOICE ACTING: B
REPLAY VALUE: A+
RENT OR BUY?: Buy it!

Not Quite For The Dead

2009-10-04T18:18:00.001-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: For those of you who think this is another zombie movie, think again! To those who say this movie is another comedy-horror, I say not quite!

Columbia Pictures' Zombieland does not take itself too seriously nor too lightly as a consistently hilarious comedy that happens to have, well, zombies in it. The movie involves four survivors named after their hometown (and accentuates their personality), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), who go on a cross-country drive to California to find a mythical town that isn't populated by the diseased.

What is most genuinely impressive about the movie is writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and director Ruben Fleischer's collaborative ability to maintain the humor as the result of the interaction between the characters and how each hopeless zombie falls trap into their creative ways of death instead of an inconvenient reason to justify a rather pointless moment. By doing so, you have an extremely entertaining movie that is so full of heart and wit that they make the graphic violence and occasional gore pale in comparison.

For example, Tallahassee's insane appetite for Twinkies as his reason to survive and Columbus's secret wish not to die a virgin are just too clever and funny of a character sub-plot to resist.

Zombieland is a well-paced, well-acted, and well-written film that may not carry the badge of a blockbuster hit but will surely use every single running minute to keep you glued to the screen. This one's got it all! Not bad for a $24,000 production.

If you can stomach the stoic violence and gore, Zombieland will be a perfect start of your October movie nights. I highly recommend and enjoyed this movie!

Zombieland (2009) (Columbus Pictures). MPAA rating: R for horror, gore, strong violence and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 22 minutes. Now Playing. U.S. Box Office Gross: $25 million (10/4/09). Currently at #1 in Box Office Sales (19/4/09).

COMEDY FACTOR: A-
SCARE FACTOR: C
FUN FACTOR: A
STORY: B
ORIGINALITY: B-
ACTING: B+
SCORE: C+
MUSIC: B
STUPID LEVEL: 3/10
VERDICT: Nothing but fun!

Fear The Void

2009-09-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: Continuing the tradition of Alien and Event Horizon, Pandorum attentively make good use of fear as the vehicle to this unexpectedly worthwhile installment of a Sci-Fi/Horror.

Having seen the teaser posters for the film that all share the same look as that of the Saw franchise and the monotonously aweful The Reaping gave me the wrong impression that this film will only serve gore and uneventful scare tactics that's been seen in almost every cheesy horror movies known to man as the movie's only hope for entertainment value.

But, it's either bad poster design or a highly-risky, clever move to allure moviegoers from the usual comfort zone of a weekend movie list.

About the only thing that actually produced an ample amount of interest for me is seeing Ben Foster in the theatrical trailer being the one scared this time instead of the one creeping you out. To those of you familiar with Foster and his acting roles should know what I'm talking about. To those who don't, shame on you!

Pandorum is about two crewmen, Bower (Foster) and Payton (Dennis Quaid), who wake up from their deep space slumber only to find that something very wrong may have happened inside the Elysium, their spacecraft en route to take whatever's left of mankind to their new home planet.

If you're one of those people who find yourself clamoring at the sight of goo-covered walls and baleful shadows or dark corners, this one has mercilessly plenty of it! Well, that and a good amount of inhuman growling ambience. For the better part, the film does a steady job of using Foster's subtleness and excessiveness to sell every emotional setup and aftermath of his tedious trek through dark corridors after dark corridors in hopes of finding survivors and some answers. Quaid serves as the eerily unnerving companion diguised as the voice of strength and courage.

The movie has enough absurdness and annoyance that director Christian Alvart and screenwriter Travis Malloy could never have avoided as obvious traits of its B-movie roots. Luckily enough, there's not enough cons to talk about to heavily dampen the near-embarassing pleasure you might find yourself enjoying every fright no matter if you suspect it coming or not.

Although there are those who enthusiastically question Ben Foster's involvement in the film, I must equally support the casting because without Foster (and Quaid) the movie is nothing more than an undercooked blunder of a midnight carnival ride that will undoubtedly become a bad publicity for any other filmmaker who dares to follow this route.

While Pandorum has nothing new to offer, it's conscious enough not to let you fall victim to your occasional head shaking as your final billing for this movie. If you're a sucker for a clean, cheap fright, then you might want to invest your time in this. But be forewarned that you may have to be an exclusive club member of the Sci-Fi/Horror genre to fully appreciate every last detail and all the occasional unintentionally laughable moments.

Pandorum (2009) (Constantin Films/Overture Films). MPAA rating: R for strong horror violence and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes. Now Playing. U.S. Box Office Gross: $4,408,00 (9/28/09). Currently at #6 in Box Office Sales (9/28/09).

SCARE FACTOR: B-
FUN FACTOR: C
STORY: D
ORIGINALITY: D-
ACTING: B+
SCORE: B-
STUPID LEVEL: 6/10
VERDICT: A very average Sci-Fi/Horror saved by its superb casting

Movie Preview: Paranormal Activity

2009-09-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

"What Happens When You Sleep?"

That is the tagline for an upcoming indi-horror movie called, Paranormal Activity which has been getting more and more buzz worldwide for it's guerilla documentary-style yet all too scary vision of ghosts. The irony of that tagline is that this movie has been guaranteed by screener audiences that it will keep you from sleeping at night.

Paranormal Activity is a $15,000 film of an Israeli-born former video game designer (Oren Peli) that tells the story of a couple who are co-inhabiting their home with a demonic presence that is mostly active at night while the couple's asleep.

Thanks to the firm support of Steven Spielberg and other Hollywood and international producers, Paramount will be distributing and releasing the movie in limited release September 15 then nationwide sometime in mid-October. Not since The Blair Witch Project has an indi-made horror film gotten this much approval from film critics and major Hollywood producers but positive public reaction from those who had a chance to see the film for the first time.

But what's most notable about this film is when Hollywood held a private screening in Santa Monica, some of the audience left the theatre because it was too scary for them to finish watching it.

I, for one, highly promote and love to see original work. It's also good to hear that there are still some in Hollywood that appreciate and support such work from everyday "Joe's." I'm very much looking forward to experiencing this film myself.

EARLY VERDICT: I'll definitely won't see it alone!

One Fizzling Body

2009-09-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

MOVIE REVIEW: Jennifer's Body is a classic "bait and switch" movie that promises to be a fun and hot time at the movies but becomes this pretentious, blood fest of a sorely generic teen horror flick. Written by Diablo Cody, who is famous for her palatable, teen slangaton Juno, the movie managed to throw a few nifty dialogues and unexpected tangible relationship element between hottie cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) and bookworm Needy (Amanda Seyfried). But, it's all flat from here.

The rest of the movie feels like the sister of a just-turned popular girl in high school, who thinks she is also part of the group. But, her Hannah Montana fashion nitch and clingy need to accessorize her arms with school books keeps her from becoming an exclusive member. It just can't build enough steam to take you anywhere it wants to. Even all the blood splattering gore quickly becomes a nuisance, which could have easily been always welcomed if it was setup by any attempt of suspense. But the movie even devours that before you even get a taste for yourself.

Megan Fox is perfect as Jennifer with her prickly toungue and sizzling eyes. She manages to help keep the attention alive along with co-star Amanda Seyfried, who does a great job at making Needy the quintessential opposite of Jennifer.

Jennifer's Body is a ride that you will find yourself wanting to bail long before it ends. Not even Fox's sensuality could save this uninspired, poor excuse of a schlocky horror that even Rob Zombie wouldn't dare to re-incarnate.

Jennifer's Body (20th Century Fox). MPAA rating: R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use. Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes. Now Playing. U.S. Box Office Gross: $6,868,397 (9/23/09). Currently at #5 in Box Office Sales (9/23/09).

SCARE FACTOR: D
FUN FACTOR: D
STORY: D+
ORIGINALITY: D-
ACTING: C
SCORE: C
MUSIC: B
STUPID LEVEL: Very High
VERDICT: A straight-to-DVD B-movie disguised as a mainstream release

Kinda Gets You Wet

2009-09-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: As I patiently await the release of NBA 2K10 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, I went ahead and added a couple of games to my Gamefly Game Q to keep me occupied. Since I'm a shooter game junkie, I gave Artificial Mind and Movement and Bethesda Softworks' Wet a try.

I was hesitant at first after reading tons of bad reviews from those who rented the game from Gamefly. But, the competitor in me finally won me over.

On the surface, Wet is a third-person action-shooter game that combines guns and swordplay with lots of tumbling, jumping, sliding, and wall-running. You play as Rubi Malone, a fixer or hired gun, who is tricked and double-crossed by her latest client Rupert Pelham (pretending to be William Ackers) in order to wipeout his only competition, the real William Ackers, in the world of global shipping port drug trades.

The game isn't bashful about imitating the style of Hong Kong action flick and Hollywood director and producer, Quentin Tarantino, down to its retro film grains, exuberant characters, and cornball dialogue. In fact, the game forces players to fight through the game the way the protagonist of such films deliver his/her brand of punishment. It may keep novice or casual gamers at bay, but hardcore gamers should love the increasing but repetitive challenges the game has to offer.

The game's action sequences consist of running through a level until you hit an "arena", an area in the middle of a level where Rubi must find and destroy a number of doors with a skull and cross swords to keep enemies from coming out of while dispatching an army of henchmen around you.

While there's an endless supply of blood and carnage, the game does not lack annoying and downright aweful elements. Wet features a plethora of different style of rock music that goes so well with its look and feel. But that same music can and will eventually get to you, especially when you're still trying to beat an arena challenge on your fifth try.

The game's control sensitivity just might be the worse part of the game. It's hard enough to shoot while you and your target are in motion or slo-motion. But when the controls keeps you from putting that round crosshair where you want it to go and stay before you touch the ground or kill another enemy waiting to put a hole in your head somewhere in the room, that just add up to an easily frustrating gaming experience even for a hardened veteran. However once you give the game enough time (which seems to be the only cure), you will finally conquer most of your aggravation and vent that anger towards your enemies.

You would think that for a game that seems to pride itself on being a tough game, you'd expect the boss fights to finally make you snap and throw that controller on your TV. But nope. It does not. Instead, you watch the battle between Rubi and whatever boss you got yourself to and wait for the game to show you which button to press to counter or attack until the boss is defeated.

I think developers often forget that beating your exasperation of playing a game is often the best reward for players. I certainly wouldn't mind scratching my head until it bleeds trying to figure out how to beat a boss since I just love defeating bosses.

It's quite ridiculous when you consider that boss fights are the only thing the break the irritating pattern of having to shoot and slash the common enemies from one level to another and from one arena to another.

Overall, Wet is a very stylized shooter that requires a huge amount of patience to eventually immerse yourself into. It offers enough addictive action and is entertaining enough as long as you don't let the frustration factor taunt you into submission. But, Wet is definitely a rent only title only because realizing that you bought the game just might prove fatal for your mental health.

Wet (Artificial Mind and Movement/Bethesda Softworks). Platforms: Playstation 3 and XBox 360. Genre: Third-person shooter. Player(s): 1. ESRB Rating: Mature (M)
GAMEPLAY: C-
GAME DESIGN: C-
STORY: D+
GRAPHICS: D+
SOUND: C
MUSIC: B
VOICE ACTING: C
REPLAY VALUE: F
RENT OR BUY?: RENT ONLY!

Depp Not as Keen on Pirates 4

2009-09-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Photo by Yukari

Due to the unexpected resignation of the long-time head of Walt Disney Studios, Dick Cook, Johnny Depp's spirit of doing Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment of Disney's mega franchise, as the incomparable Capt. Jack Sparrow has been notably hampered. The news comes after Depp and Disney had officially announced the title of the latest sequel, which is slated for a summer 2011 release.

The L.A. Times has reported that Depp was "shocked and very sad" about the news, especially when Cook was the reason Depp agreed to star in the first Pirates. According to Depp, Cook was "instantly trustworthy" and a "rare beast" because the actor does not think there aren't too many people to trust in Hollywood. Cook was also often the only one to support Depp in his creative rendition of Capt. Sparrow.

It's easy to understand why someone as dedicated of an actor as Depp would lose his enthusiasm about playing Sparrow, perhaps, for the final time when the very person who eventually motivated him is no longer part it.

The thought of playing a character that he loves so much again might prove to be the only reason for Depp to finish Pirates 4. I don't think Disney Studios itself can do anything, at this point, to repair their bond with the actor. For them to dislike Depp's take on Sparrow further proves Disney's lack of originality and imagination.

I personally think that Depp will go ahead with Pirates 4. I think he values the fans more than anything else outside working with Cook once again. But, don't expect him to sail the seven seas again for a fifth Pirates.

Rogen Doesn't Need Green Hornet

2009-09-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

Rogen watching dalies at the set of The Green Hornet.

As some of you may know, The Green Hornet project is alive and kicking thanks to funnyman Seth Rogen, who co-writes and plays the leading role of the verde vigilante. It's safe to say that Rogen and fellow writer Evan Goldberg (both co-wrote The Pineapple Express and Superbad) do intend to make this Hornet an action-comedy. Whew!

But why does Rogen need The Green Hornet to make an action-comedy?

Don't get me wrong. Rogen isn't a bad writer nor a comedic presence. It's just that I'm not quite sure why he needs to adapt Hornet instead of just writing his own original action-comedy. Heck, it could even still be a superhero-type movie. I get that he probably feels the need to expand his wings a little here, but he just might be extending his grounds here a bit too much.

I guess what I'm getting at is The Green Hornet has been here a lot longer than Rogen. It doesn't matter if he is a fan of Hornet. It's a comic book character that has many followings that may not share Rogen's take on their hero, especially when the last time Hornet was ever on public consumption outside a comic book store or convention was the short-run TV series back in the '60s. So, there's got to be a heavy amount of expectations whenever there's a movie adaptation in the works.

I think it's a ballsy move by Rogen. I hope he has a major backup plan if this one hits the fan. I'd hate to see another Hollywood talent end a career on another superhero movie.

Two Cult Classics Hollywood Should Never Ever Touch

2009-09-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

I just don't understand why Hollywood keeps insisting to make adaptations of anything in pop culture, like popular 80s TV series, after-school cartoons, and comic books, even if the major demographic of moviegoers don't have the childhood connection to generate genuine interest to see the movie. Now, Hollywood wants to do more graphic novel films (with Surrogates, which stars Bruce Willis, being the latest) and try its hands on an Anime classic.

Warner Bros. is currently trying to have a screenplay for Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, which is about a teenage motorcycle gang whose youngest member, Tetsuo, becomes the subject of a government experiment after he exhibits psychic powers soon after an accident. Akira, to some of you, is a six-volume black and white graphic novel (or manga) that explores what would happen if an ordinary person with a troubled personality is suddenly given a dangerous yet powerful ability. What would such power do to that person? Change him/her for the better or worse?

Akira is one of my all-time favorite graphic novel and anime because of the style of the presentation and the ambiguity of the antagonist and protagonist elements. It also contains many sub-plots that may seem to blur the storyline but actually more of vantage points necessary to detail the intrepid message of the novel. The maturing process of both Tetsuo and Akeda is epic and one of the story's most unforgettable event. Overall, Otomo's ability to combine great action with even greater drama make Akira a masterpiece. Hence, a cult classic.

Stomp The Yard director Sylvain White wants to make Frank Miller's Ronin into his own 300. Well, actually, he wants to make a 3D movie out of it. Having been forced to cancel his previous Castlevania (video game franchise about a bloodline of vampire slayers that battle Dracula throughout the ages) project, White is determined to make this project work.

In 1983 and 1984, Ronin is a limited comic book series published by DC Comics and involves a nameless young samurai (the ronin) who must destroy a demon called Agat, with its own supernatural sword, in near future New York City.

The comic book series is vintage Frank Miller — gorgeous but dark at the edges. The original but bizarre storyline and such absorbing characters combined with the beautifully illustrated images make Ronin a classic. Just like Akira, Ronin has many layers that all intertwine and make for an enormously entertaining story.

The first mistake White mentioned about his plans for Ronin is that he wants to present the movie in 3D. Saying that you're planning on making a movie in 3D just speaks "I don't know what I'm doing" and "I don't know how to make this movie the right way." 3D is a tool to enhance a movie. Yet all of a sudden, everyone wants to make a 3D movie like their some teenager who just got his/her first cell phone.

If White really knows what he's doing with Ronin, why make it 3D?

This is the single most annoying and biggest problem I have with Hollywood filmmakers. To those who think their ego is big enough to tackle materials such as Akira and Ronin, which are bigger than any Hollywood ego by the way, are some of the stupidest and disrespectful people on the planet. What makes you think that your "version" will be better than the original? What gives you the right to change anything in the novel and hope that the fans would just swallow it? Having said that, just because your version could make a lot of money (or not) does not make it a successful movie.

But then again, that is the reason why isn't it? Yeah, these filmmakers think they're doing something different yet they're really just doing the same thing what another person has done before. But, it all comes down to making a name and making lots of money. Isn't it? Who cares if you hack a true classic down to its bones? Who cares if your version unnecessarily makes people look at the original materials a different way?

Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with making a name for yourself and make tons of money doing it. All I ask is do something original for a change. Now that would be a story. Wouldn't it?

Video Game Preview: Left 4 Dead 2

2009-09-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Alright boys and girls, it's time for our next trip back to the land of the undead.

Valve's newest franchise is about to have its much anticipated second outing in Left 4 Dead 2 this November 17th just five months after its official announcement at E3 last June. L4D2 has the same focus as the original where four survivors must proceed from one safehouse to another while taking out any and all zombies preventing their escape.

The sequel features five huge campaigns, four brand new characters (Coach, Ellis, Nick, and Rochelle), new settings (Savannah to New Orleans), over twenty new weapons and items, over ten new melee weapons (axe, frying pan, chainsaw, baseball bat), and five new zombie bosses (or "uncommon" common). But the most significant new addition is AI Director 2.0, which is an artificial intelligence engine that customizes the number of enemies, effects, music, level layout, world objects, weather, and lighting during gameplay.

Instead of having the same zombies on every campaign, each campaign now features its own "uncommon" common and specific type of common infected depending where the campaign takes place. These common infected also require different ways to kill. For example, there are zombies in HazMat suits and riot gear. HazMat zombies can't die by fire and riot gear zombies can sustain gunfire from the front.

Oh yeah, the Witch now wanders around during the daytime and is even more dangerous as she will stop at nothing to kill her provoker dead (or she herself is dead). So if you hope that Witch will just run away crying when you momentarily loses her, think again!

The demo for L4D2 will be available for those who pre-order the game and will be available for download at Steam (Valve's download service) two weeks before the game's official release date on November 17.

The original Left 4 Dead hasn't been neglected. Well at least for now. A brand new campaign called, Crash Course, will be available for download free for PC gamers but will cost XBox Live subscribers 560 points (or $7) this September. The exact date is yet to be released by Valve. Crash Course is the event between No Mercy and Death Toll.

L4D is one of only two games I keep playing over and over again the past several months. It really is that much fun! The gameplay, game design, voice-acting, action, entertainment value, and replayability (obviously) are all superb! And to think, Left 4 Dead 2 is bigger and offers more bang for your buck. Can't wait!

EARLY VERDICT: A Must Buy!!!

Video Game Preview: Splinter Cell: Conviction

2009-09-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Sam Fisher is back and back with a vengeance!

In the fifth installment of one of Ubisoft's and one of the video game industry's top franchises, Splinter Cell: Conviction (which was originally slated to be out November of 2007) sees Fisher resigning from Third Echelon shortly after Double Agent (the fourth installment) when he hears the tragic news of his daughter's seemingly accidental death. Knowing that her daughter has been murdered, Fisher returns home to the U.S. to find the reason behind her death and those responsible.

To make sure Splinter Cell doesn't get old as it gets older, Ubisoft has given the series a brand new lease in the video game industry by going away from the usual Top Secret espionage missions and actually giving Fisher a new chapter in his life and career that's looking to be the most challenging and intense Splinter Cell yet.

So what else is there to expect?

For starters, Fisher is forced to be much more resourceful in everything that he does. It's a good thing that the developers have given gamers much more options in helping him complete all of his tasks.

Gone now is his instant access to all those wonderful gadgets that was in his disposable when he was still a cell for Third Echelon. So, for instance, if Fisher needs to survey an area immediately in front of him he will have to use whatever he can find around him like a broken piece of mirror to keep himself hidden. While interrogating someone, Fisher can now use objects around the room like doors, mirrors, urinals, etc. to make someone talk a whole lot faster.

Gameplay has been given a special amount of attention. Since Fisher is now a man on his own, he should be given more freedom to take down his opponents. The "Mark & Execute" feature allows Fisher to tag an enemy (or enemies) to kill or objects to shoot to create a distraction of different forms. What's amazing about this feature is that when executed, Fisher does it automatically without the need for the gamer's quick trigger or ability to shoot at even the smallest of objects from afar. So clearing a room full of baddies is no longer an unnecessary chore. Or for a more difficult scenario, Fisher can tag someone located far away to kill then tag an object next to another enemy to make that enemy come closer to Fisher for an up close and personal take down.

There's also the "last known position" feature in which an outline of Fisher is frozen on the very same position an enemy has spotted him thus allowing Fisher to make his way around a room to either get past the enemies or to flank them for a kill.

Conviction also has given players the decision of going about Fisher's business to either play the game using stealth or an all out guns blazing or fists of fury firing. Of course, actions do have their consequences. So, by not using stealth all the time will prove to be difficult for gamers to proceed in the game.

Other than that, graphics look astonishing, voice acting sounds great (Michael Ironside is back as Fisher's voice), and the score (hear a sample on the official website) makes the game feel even more like an action-thriller movie.

EARLY VERDICT: A Must Buy!

Double Movie Preview: The Book of Eli (2010)/The Road (2009)

2009-09-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

There are two post-apocalyptic flicks coming out in the next few months that take a different approach to surviving the Apocalypse. This is the first.

Mankind is in need of saving. This time it's Denzel Washington to the rescue. Well, him and a book called, The Book of Eli. Written on this book are pages of information that are blueprints for saving the world. But what exactly is written on these pages that everybody is willing to kill to have? Only Eli (Washington) knows.

The film is directed by the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society and From Hell), so it's most likely there will be gore and much violence. With their straight-shooting style, it is interesting how they'll tackle a Sci-Fi Thriller movie that has an obvious parallel story to that of Moses and Elijah The Prophet (man with a book that contains written words to saving mankind).

But then again, Allen and Albert Hughes do manage to make controversial but great films that aren't easily forgotten and aren't always the same type of film they have directed before.

EARLY VERDICT: See It!

In a more probable cause and effect of an Apocalyptic disaster, The Road (adapted from the same titled Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy) circles around the dangerous but enlightening journey of an ill-equipped and supplied father and his son across America.

In this heart-wrenching but adventurous trip for warmer climate to southern United States, the father (played by Viggo Mortensen) must protect his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), armed with a pistol loaded with only two bullets, against the cannibals that stalks what's left of the country and the gradually increasing cold weather while keeping himself together due to an illness he sustained in the beginning and his wife's suicide.

I'm leaning towards watching The Road more than The Book of Eli solely for the reason of seeing enough of these types of movies that are similar to the Denzel Washington film. It's time to see it from a different perspective. Seeing a film based on a book that won the Pulitzer Prize shouldn't be a bad decision at all.

So, there you have it folks. Two movies set in the same scenario but from totally different vantage point. Which one will you see? Which one do you think will be better?

EARLY VERDICT: Must See It!

Video Game Preview: Assassin's Creed 2

2009-09-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Video Games | Assassin's Creed II | E3 09: Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

In 2007, Ubisoft released an ambitious title called Assassin's Creed. The game is about a kidnapped bartender and a direct descendant of Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad, the top assassin of a brotherhood of assassins during the "Third Crusade" period around 1191. Although repetitive and unrefined at the edges, Assassin's Creed boasted one of the coolest-looking characters in a very long time, a movie-like storyline, and a smooth combat system that mirrors that of Batman: Arkham Asylum. As a result, the game became a worldwide phenomena.

Two years later, it's long-awaited sequel is set to be released this November. Assassin's Creed 2 looks to be even more of an epic and promises to make everything the original offered (and didn't) even better.

This time around, gamers take on the role of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian nobleman who is out for vengeance and cleansing of Renaissance Italy. The theme of vengeance and feeling the need to punish those who break the law, for someone from the wealthy society, give Ezio a deeper and darker personality than Altaïr. It's quite necessary given the setting of Renaissance Italy which is a period in history were people often look the other way of corruption and death to uphold the "civility" of politics and countries.

There are new features (i.e. notoriety system, more options to assassinate, money, doctors for healing, etc.), upgrades, and more weapons (i.e. halberds, axes, pikes, dual hidden blades, etc.) available for Ezio thanks to a young Leonardo da Vinci (which is a nice touch since he is the biggest icon of that period), who befriends Ezio and sort of becomes his Q). The game also makes the players examine the situation of an assassination before execution (and perhaps an escape plan or two) and decide how to decrease or remove the notoriety currently placed on the head of Ezio by either bribing or killing witnesses. Plus, Ezio can no longer stay and hide somewhere for a long time since guards can now search anywhere and everywhere so the A.I. has been upgraded as well.

These are just half of the refinements and additions Ubisoft has given Creed 2. The developers really immersed themselves into making this game, and I think they've outdone themselves. Two years after the original might sound too quick to create a sequel, but Ubisoft has a good history of making solid sequels in limited time. I don't think there will be much of a letdown for Creed 2.

The game isn't out yet, but it's generated more excitement and anticipation than the original. There are probably three games coming out in the next five months that I think is worth its pricetag. Assassin's Creed 2 is one of those three.

EARLY VERDICT: A Must Buy!

Movie Preview: Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2010)

2009-09-03T23:55:00.000-07:00

In their attempt to re-create the enormous and equally surprising success of its Pirates of the Carribean franchise with another franchise (albeit a video game one), Mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Walt Disney Pictures are set to release their next year's summer movie, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

Prince of Persia is about Dastan, the adopted prince (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) of the Persian royal family, who joined forces with Princess Tamina (British actress Gemma Arterton) in order to save Persia from an evil nobleman named Nizam (Sir Ben Kingsley) who is looking for the "Sands of Time" — a mystical dagger than can reverse time at its possessor's bidding.

In any Bruckheimer movie, staying true to the adapted material is never an option. It looks like the movie is only borrowing the characters and theme of the video games while the story, character background, etc. are fabricated entirely by his writers. According to some reports, Prince of Persia is designed to have sequels but won't include the Warrior Within or The Two Thrones stories.

This is what is so wrong about Hollywood. Why adapt a popular series of video games and not keep the movie's storyline and characters sincere? Just because the movie might make tons of money does not make it a proper story for the movie. What makes them think that the material written by screenwriters would be better than what has already been established by the writers and creators of the video games and its characters?

I would consider that lying to and manipulating the fans of the video games into thinking that the movie is based entirely on the very things they've enjoyed and followed over the years.

Interestingly and rightfully so, I've been reading what the fans think about the movie. It's a toss up I'm afraid. One side does not like the casting of Gyllenhaal (they don't see him as the Prince in any stretch of the imagination) and the rest just does not have faith in the filmmakers to do a good job at bringing the video games to life.

I, for one, do not care about the film since I have not played one single title of the franchise. Would I consider watching it? Sure. Why? Because I won't know the difference between the movie and the video games.

Ah! Now, I can understand Bruckheimer.

EARLY VERDICT: Rent It

Movie Preview: Legion (2010)

2009-08-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

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To those of you who follow the action-horror genre, there is an interesting film coming out in January 2010 called, Legion. The subject of the movie is quite unique yet begging for a huge controversy since it deals with a "what if" scenario that will surely get a lot of heat from religious people.

Legion is about God losing his patience and faith on us and decides to end the world (or at least erase all of mankind) by sending his angels (instead of another great flood) to rid the world of humans . Surprisingly, God's "right-hand" archangel Michael (played by Paul Bettany) comes down to Earth to save us all by, get this, protecting an unborn child and the mother from Apocalypse.

Overall, the movie looks good but also looks like it will have a few cheesy moments (check out the name of the diner). The cast includes Dennis Quaid (who seems to be everywhere) and Charles S. Dutton. So you can't go wrong there.

The trailer also hints at the idea that angels are slaves to God when Michael cuts off his wings and removes the angel collar around his neck then later tells archangel Gabriel that he now follows his own biddings.

Yep, this movie will get some heat alright. But then again, maybe that's what it wants. That will definitely market itself that way. I'm always a sucker for movies that make bold statements like this. So I'm there!

What do you folks think?

EARLY VERDICT: See It

The Dark Knight As He Was Meant To Be

2009-08-30T01:56:00.000-07:00

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: When I first heard that Eidos and Rocksteady are working on Batman: Arkham Asylum, I thought that Christopher Nolan (director and writer of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) had changed his mind into doing a third Batman film and that this Batman video game will be based on that.

It's a good thing that it isn't (although another Batman sequel by Nolan wouldn't be such a bad idea). Why? Because movie-based video games are just the "bottom feeders" of video games in that they are no more than $60 ($40 for the PC) advertisements for whatever movie (usually superhero and CG animated kid flicks) they're based on. Isn't it?

(But then again, this blog does the same, but I'm not getting paid!)

Eidos and Rocksteady do a tremendous job of making their version of "The Dark Knight" which, I think, is the best superhero video game right now. It's almost immediately noticeable the amount of detail and sensitivity for all gamers they put into this project. It won't make everyone happy (what does?). But, the game has all the right tools to appeal to just about anyone.

Unlike many professional and amateur video game critics who value a list of areas for a video game to be considered a hit or a miss, I prefer to look at only two things that are often overlooked by developers more often than it should be. Gameplay and replay value to me are the two things any video game should never ever fall short on.

Gameplay in Arkham is one of the most polished I've seen in years. More specially for a superhero game which usually tends to rely on the popularity of the superhero used as the vehicle for gamers to buy and "enjoy" it. There are many sides to Arkham that really captures and engrosses the universe of Batman and what it's like to fight crime as "The Caped Crusader." But, the one thing that stands out to me the most is its simple yet ingenious combat system called, FreeFlow.

FreeFlow consists of two buttons. Yup, just two. You only need to use the "Strike" button (Square for the PS3 or X for the XBox 360) to attack with your hands and feet and the "Counter" button to block or redirect an attack to incapacitate your enemy the way only Batman could. The beauty of FreeFlow is that the more you continuously hit the "Strike" button and directing your attack from one enemy to another (with the control stick), the faster and more elaborate Batman's moves become. There's really nothing else in the game as satisfying as controlling Batman's every jaw-dropping and brutal martial arts move bring down one henchman after another.

This combat system is designed to take out the frustration of fighting and makes gamers enjoy the fighting even more rather than forcing them to remember certain moves and the combination of buttons to execute that move. I mean what's more enjoyable really, remembering moves and combos or just taking it to your one enemy after another and another in one fight sequence with such precision and devastation?

Be honest now.

But with so much emphasis on fighting the inmates and brawny henchmen, that only leaves very little into the boss fights. Instead of putting much of the challenges (which aren't much) into defeating each boss (such as The Scarecrow, Croc, Poison Ivy, and eventually The Joker), Arkham is way too content with keeping the theme of universally appealing to every gamer (seemingly to the novices).

In other words, hardcore third-person action-adventure enthusiasts need not apply.

In fact, only two out of four are real boss battles, and those two only require your ability to dispatch henchmen while using one of Batman's trusty gadget to attack and defeat the arch-nemesis boss. There's not even any degree of difficulty to figure out how to beat each boss. It is as if the game wants it to happen on your first try. Very disappointing and boring indeed.

Arkham's replay value, however, isn't as up to par as its gameplay. While there are certainly a few things (and I do mean few) that the game tries to reward gamers without having to go online for downloadable contents or for online competition, solo gamers are left in the dark.

Once you've collected all of Riddler's trophies and solved all of his riddles, there isn't much left but to try your hands on the "Challenge Mode" which consists of no more than a dozen maps that require you to either defeat hordes and hordes of henchmen in a brawl or through stealth and specified type of take-downs as fast as possible. Come to think of it, why also isn't there an option to keep all gadgets and upgrades for the start of a brand new game for those who have completed the entire game?

But with all of its unacceptable shortcomings, Batman: Arkham Asylum will keep you entertained for hours and hours no matter what type of a gamer you are.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios/Eidos Interactive/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment/Square Enix Japan). Platforms: Playstation 3/XBox 360/PC. Genre: Third-person Action-Adventure. Player(s): 1. ESRB Rating: Teens (T)
GAMEPLAY: A-
GAME DESIGN: A+
STORY: A
GRAPHICS: A
SOUND: A-
MUSIC: A
VOICE ACTING: A+
REPLAY VALUE: B+
RENT OR BUY?: MUST-BUY!

Cameron is Back!

2009-08-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

By now if you are somewhat of an internet junkie or you just like to leave your TV on to make yourself feel like you're not alone, you probably heard about A-List Hollywood Director James Cameron's coming out of a 12-year absence party and his next project titled, Avatar. Nope, it's not about cartoon versions of people suddenly coming to life. According to its official synopsis, the film is about an ex-Marine who is forced to battle the humans to save the alien civilization of 10-foot blue creatures called the Na'vi. Like any other Cameron films, the synopsis are always too simplified to contain the true magnitude of the film.

But that's the most interesting part about Cameron. He just doesn't let his movie or his stars promote his films. He has as much fun making his movies as it is promoting them in ways, or at least for this one, that no one has the balls to do.

To light a fire in our interest to go see his latest project, Cameron sat-out what he called "Avatar Day", or a movie trailer on steroids, on August 21st. "Avatar Day" was THE only chance for movie-goers to get their first look, or at least 15 minutes of the film, of Avatar in limited theaters nationwide capable of presenting 3D movies and the first teaser trailer on the web. Tickets were sold out in minutes and servers for presenting the teaser trailer crashed due to overflow of traffic. Does this guy know how to market or what?

I'm not saying Cameron is successful because of how he promotes his films (but he sure does it better than anyone). I think that Cameron has so much belief and passion in his work and in his stories that merely finishing production does not mean the end of his work. His formula for films never goes away from the theme of the best and the worst in being human (which he does so very well without being too harsh or too preachy). But the way he presents his stories and goes about telling people why his films should not be missed are an art form too complicated or too flattering for anyone willing to imitate.

Cameron have always had a love for technology (even if he says he's too socially technology unhip) and never shy about sharing his vision for the next "it" technology in Hollywood. He surely hasn't stopped yet. Avatar was shot entirely and will be shown entirely in the newest 3D technology that he helped develop. There have been movies presented in 3D, but I just have a feeling this movie will set a new standard in 3D more than everyone thinks.

I'm not the biggest James Cameron fan nor the biggest promoter of 3D movies. I think 3D has been misused as the reason to go see a 3D movie instead of, well, the movie. But, Cameron has always had the positive reputation when it comes to the newest technology in Hollywood and owns the best resumé in Sci-Fi world (The Terminator franchise and Aliens ring any bell?) that makes him and his films too hard to ignore.

From what I've seen so far in its 2-minute teaser trailer (below), Avatar is promising to be the next Sci-Fi mega-hit.